The present invention relates to beverage container cooling devices. More particularly, this invention relates to removable refrigeration elements for cooling beverage container within a beverage carton.
Carbonated sodas, fruit juices, beer, etc. are commonly stored within individual beverage containers, such as bottles or cans, for distribution in packs of six, twelve or more. These packs of beverage containers may be formed by a carton formed of paperboard or cardboard. The beverage carton provides an easily transportable and disposable storage device for the beverage containers.
The beverage containers housed within the beverage carton can be refrigerated by a retailer or consumer. However, the beverage containers within the carton generally do not remain cool for more than a short time after they are no longer refrigerated. Consequently, specially adapted insulated containers, sometimes referred to as coolers, are often employed to maintain the beverage containers at a reduced temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,658 to Starrett discloses a portable refrigeration unit for maintaining cans or bottles containing beverages at a predetermined refrigerated temperature for a desired period of time. Individual cans or bottles are placed within an outer insulating case or container having an internal refrigeration cartridge as its bottom surface. The refrigeration cartridge has a plurality of curved surfaces adapted to contact the end or side surfaces of the beverage cans or bottles, thereby cooling the beverage cans or bottles by conduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,648,954 to Wheeler et al. also discloses a refrigerated carton for maintaining beverage containers at a reduced temperature. Removable cardboard partitions for holding refrigeration containers are placed within the carton. The refrigeration containers are elongated, rectangular cylinders that are placed in close proximity to the beverage containers, thereby cooling by convection.
The prior art devices suffer from several drawbacks. The prior art devices do not allow incorporation of refrigeration elements into a standard paperboard beverage carton. Moreover, the prior art devices fail to effectively maximize the contact areas between the beverage containers and refrigeration elements, which enhances the refrigerating function provided by such refrigeration elements. These and other drawbacks of the prior art are overcome by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cooling beverage containers within a carton.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cooling beverage containers within a carton that employs reusable and removable refrigeration elements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cooling beverage containers within a carton that can be employed with a standard beverage carton.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cooling beverage containers within a carton that utilizes existing spaces between beverage containers within the beverage carton for placement of refrigeration elements.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cooling beverage containers within a carton that maximizes the beverage container surface area that is in contact with the refrigeration elements.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cooling beverage containers within a carton that maintains the beverage containers at a reduced temperature for substantial time periods of at least four hours or more.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means for cooling beverage containers within a carton that is inexpensive and convenient to use.
These and other objects and advantages are achieved by the present invention, which, in one preferred embodiment, comprises a plurality of reusable, removable refrigeration elements that are inserted into a standard paperboard beverage carton housing a plurality of beverage containers. The refrigeration elements are adapted to fit into the existing spaces formed between beverage containers within the carton. The refrigeration elements are further adapted to form a contacting relationship with the adjacent beverage containers, thereby maintaining the beverage containers at reduced temperatures through conduction.